The ram can be utilized to "straighten" the die as it is being screwed down. COncentricity usually improves dramatically when using standard dies. It also offsets any misalignment between the top of the press and the ram/shaft housing which there usually is on a mass produced press. This method does require the user to do a little more maintenance with cleanliness of the ram, but it pays off in the long run.

However, occasionally (usually with my luck) I find FL dies that are too long right out of the box and won't even touch the shoulder with the die all the way down to the shell holder! So, a guy might think he is full length sizing when in fact he is just barely touching the neck only! I think this is what is happening to the guy who started this thread.

For this problem, a comp shellholder work but not as well in my opinion. A better route (and cheaper too) is to send them to a machinist and have the die cut down shorter by .005" or whatever is needed to make it FL size again. I then use the headspace gauges from Stoney Point to see where I'm at with the length. A machinist can fix the die forever for about $15 bucks or less compared to the cost of getting several comp shellholders (up to $30 or more).

One other thing that I would like to mention is that I set up my dies fresh each time I use them. The reason for this is that sometimes when you set lock rings, the set screw can push against the ring and die body and cause a slight misalignment so that the next time you screw the die down onto the lock ring, it will be slightly off center. This is why I never set the lock ring. I just set it up fresh every time by threading down onto the shell holder and I cut my dies (if need be) so that this can be done. The ammo will usually run less than .001" out on concentricity in this manner.

Now, if a FL die is too short out of the box, then you must use either shims or comp shellholders to take up the slack. I personally would rather have a too long die than a too short die because I can custom fit the die if it is too long.

However, occasionally (usually with my luck) I find FL dies that are too long right out of the box and won't even touch the shoulder with the die all the way down to the shell holder! So, a guy might think he is full length sizing when in fact he is just barely touching the neck only! I think this is what is happening to the guy who started this thread.

For this problem, a comp shellholder work but not as well in my opinion. A better route (and cheaper too) is to send them to a machinist and have the die cut down shorter by .005" or whatever is needed to make it FL size again. I then use the headspace gauges from Stoney Point to see where I'm at with the length. A machinist can fix the die forever for about $15 bucks or less compared to the cost of getting several comp shellholders (up to $30 or more).

One other thing that I would like to mention is that I set up my dies fresh each time I use them. The reason for this is that sometimes when you set lock rings, the set screw can push against the ring and die body and cause a slight misalignment so that the next time you screw the die down onto the lock ring, it will be slightly off center. This is why I never set the lock ring. I just set it up fresh every time by threading down onto the shell holder and I cut my dies (if need be) so that this can be done. The ammo will usually run less than .001" out on concentricity in this manner.

Now, if a FL die is too short out of the box, then you must use either shims or comp shellholders to take up the slack. I personally would rather have a too long die than a too short die because I can custom fit the die if it is too long.

Just my two cents. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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GG -- You are backwards on the comp shellholder/shim usage

They will only serve to move the case OUT of the die, not INTO.

The thickest comp SH is cut 2 thou THINNER than a normal shellholder.

So if the die IS NOT BUMPING the shoulder, the comp shellholders WILL NOT HELP as they move the case in the wrong direction.

If the die IS BUMPING TOO MUCH, then shims and/or comp SH's will fix the problem and still allow you to cam the SH off the die.

The SH labeled "+0.002"" = it is increasing the headspace dim of the case over a standard shellholder....and DECREASING the case:chamber headspace (clear as mud?)

RE: resetting the die each time -- i keep mine tight, but may step up or down one shellholder between setups, thou recently i have been lucky and have been able to stay with the same shellholder each time i setup.

For a new set of dies....what I've found that I do is UNTIL....I check a resized case or so....I leave a slight gap....between the shellholder and the bottom of the die and if the "feel" is right....I'll go with the die using the gap. If the "feel" isn't right...I may take the die on down until it's touching the shellholder or just slightly off the holder!

When I first started reloading (last year) I had this problem. I wasn't seating my bullets down inside the case far enough and the bolt was very hard to close. I never had anyone show me how to reload. I just followed the directions in the book and just went with it. If you still have any rounds that you tried to chamber but were really tight, check the bullet on that round. You should be able to see marks or grooves from the riflings on your bullet. This might be one area to look at. This would tell you if you needed to seat your bullets down a little farther. Just a suggestion.

Thanks guys!I appreciate the helpful advice.Sorry took so long for a response.Been hunting my arse off,Good ole whitetails are nowjust starting to rut here.
After I posted for the second time,I really got antsy and wanted to figure what was going on,I called RCBS and talked to a lady and described my delema,she told me that they have had this problem also with the new 325 WSM dies as well.She told me to send my dies along with 5 fired shells and that they would machine my dies and correct the problem,well its the middle of hunting season and this was not an option!!so I went back into the reloading room up at my cousins and began fidling around with the dies,and re-reading the small amount of material for setup in the rcbs manual.In my fiddling around stage ,I reset the sizing die as recomended,then I rotated the sizing die about two turns down even further and stuck a case in the shell holder and gave it a try,I gave the handle a little more then normal tension and then removed the case and tried it in my chamber and shut the bolt.It closed perfectly and the stiffness was gone!!Soo I reexamined the case and everything was fine.So I reloaded about 20 shells this way,ran up the hill to his shooting range and fired 3 rounds,and all was well.Anyways it worked out all right.Thanks again for the help.